Scottish Executive

Audiology

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many trained audiologists there were in each health board area at 31 March and 30 September in each of the past three years.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: Information on the number of trained medical staff employed in NHSScotland is collected annually by ISD Scotland at 30 September only. The following table shows the number of medical staff working in the specialty of audiological medicine in the last three years for which information is available.

  Audiological Medicine staff directly employed by NHSScotland

  Headcount at 30 September by Health Board

  

 

Consultant 
  

Associate Specialist 
  



1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  



Fife 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

1 
  

1 
  

1 
  



Tayside 
  

- 
  

- 
  

1 
  

- 
  

- 
  

-

Audiology

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding was allocated to audiology departments by each health board area in each of the past three financial years.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: This information is not held centrally but is being collected as part of the wide-ranging review of audiology services, which is currently under way. The review is due to report in the autumn.

Audiology

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many dedicated audiology departments there currently are in each NHS board area.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: There are currently 22 main audiology services. The majority of these services provide satellite clinics outwith their main bases - one service visits 18 peripheral clinics.

  NHS Board

  


Argyll and Clyde 
  

4 (Inverclyde, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Dunbarton Health 
  Centre, Lorn and Islands District General Hospital (DGH)) 
  



Ayrshire and Arran 
  

1 (South Ayrshire DGH) 
  



Borders 
  

1 (Borders DGH) 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

1 (Dumfries Royal Infirmary) 
  



Fife 
  

1 (Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy) 
  



Forth Valley 
  

1 (Stirling Royal Infirmary) 
  



Grampian 
  

1 (Aberdeen Royal Infirmary) 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

5 (Yorkhill Hospital, Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow Royal, 
  Stobhill, Gartnavel) 
  



Highland 
  

1 (Raigmore Hospital) 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

1 (Audiology Unit, Auchingramont Road) 
  



Lothian 
  

3 (Edinburgh Royal Adult Service, Edinburgh Royal Paediatric 
  Service, St Johns Hospital) 
  



Tayside 
  

2 (Ninewells Hospital, Perth Royal Inf.)

Bee-Keeping

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22041 by Ross Finnie on 1 February 2002, what duties were performed by the 24 officials with responsibilities relating to the bee-keeping profession in 2001.

Ross Finnie: Officials' duties relating to the bee-keeping profession in 2001 comprised the following:

  Agricultural Staff (18)

  Participation at meetings with bee-keeping associations, and

  Dealing with general enquiries regarding notifiable bee diseases and, as required, providing assistance with the collection of varroa samples for an autumn 2001 research project (co-ordinated by the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency).

  Scientific Staff (3)

  Provision of advice to Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD) on notifiable bee diseases and bee poisoning incidents;

  Participation at meetings with bee-keeping associations;

  Provision of support in the enforcement of legislation;

  Diagnosis of varroa destructor in samples submitted by beekeepers and notification of results;

  Co-ordination of collection of varroa samples for an autumn 2001 research project, and

  Analysis of bees association with suspected bee poisoning incidents and notification of results.

  Administrative Staff (3)

  Participation at meetings with bee-keeping associations;

  Policy responsibility for relevant orders relating to the control of bee diseases;

  Handling enquiries and processing applications for licences to import bees into Scotland;

  Liaison as necessary with SEERAD agricultural and scientific colleagues, and

  Co-ordination and management of SEERAD involvement in UK National Honey Programme.

Crime

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the fall in recorded crime in the Strathclyde Police force area in December 2001, what new initiatives will be introduced in 2002 in order to maintain this trend.

Dr Richard Simpson: Local police force initiatives are the responsibility of the individual Chief Constable. The Strathclyde Police Spotlight Initiative on Safer Streets will continue until 31 March 2002. In addition, I understand that Strathclyde Police intend to concentrate on crime priority areas such as organised crime, drugs suppliers, vandalism and street disorder.

  There will be two national Safer Scotland campaigns during 2002. The first, "Crime Breakers", will run from 28 March until 31 May focusing on the activities of criminals who utilise the transport network and will also target drink and drugs driving offences. The second national campaign will take place in the autumn and will focus on public reassurance and high visibility policing.

Development

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the establishment of a body dedicated to the physical, social and economic regeneration of small towns similar to the Association of Market Towns in England supported by the Countryside Development Agency.

Ms Wendy Alexander: A wide range of public and private sector organisations, authorities, and agencies throughout Scotland are committed to local initiatives to promote the physical, social and economic regeneration of small towns. The Scottish Executive supports the aims of the Association for Small Towns in Scotland in seeking to disseminate information and advice about the regeneration of small towns.

Development

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has undertaken, and what proposals it will bring forward, for the establishment of town champions, animateurs, enablers or facilitators as envisaged by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland and referred to in the report of the Urban Task Force in 1999, Towards an Urban Renaissance .

Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive has no plans to bring forward specific proposals regarding the establishment of town champions. However, any appointment by local authorities of appropriate people to such, or similar, posts would be consistent with the general thrust of Designing Places,  the Executive's design policy statement published in November 2001, which encourages local authorities to recognise their role in raising aspirations for good design.

Diabetes

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many diabetic out-patient clinics there currently are in each NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally. NHS boards are expected to ensure appropriate services are provided for people with diabetes. This includes community and primary care services as well as hospital in-patient and out-patient care.

Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met HM Treasury to discuss balancing payments to the Scottish Consolidated Fund, as referred to in section 5.3 of HM Treasury’s Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly: A Statement of Funding Policy , to redress any imbalance in housing benefit and council tax benefit costs between Scotland and England.

Mr Andy Kerr: Scottish Executive officials have been in correspondence with officials in HM Treasury about the adjustments to the Scottish Assigned Budget that will be necessary in respect of differences in Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit costs between Scotland and England. These will be made to the Scotland Departmental Expenditure Limit for 2002-03.

Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many payments have been made to the Scottish Consolidated Fund as balancing payments, as referred to in section 5.3 of HM Treasury’s Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly: A Statement of Funding Policy ; how much each payment was; when each payment was made, and what budget line each payment refers to.

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many payments have been made from the Scottish Consolidated Fund as balancing payments, as referred to in section 5.3 of HM Treasury’s Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly: A Statement of Funding Policy ; how much each payment was, when each payment was made, and what budget line each payment refers to.

Mr Andy Kerr: No payments have as yet been made.

Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether monies paid into the Scottish Consolidated Fund as balancing payments, as referred to in section 5.3 of HM Treasury’s Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly: A Statement of Funding Policy , will be earmarked for specific purposes and, if so, what those purposes are or will be.

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any monies paid into the Scottish Consolidated Fund as balancing payments, as referred to in section 5.3 of HM Treasury’s Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly: A Statement of Funding Policy , will be used to offset fire boards expenditure on pensions.

Mr Andy Kerr: No monies have as yet been paid into the Scottish Consolidated Fund and when they are Scottish ministers will decide for what purposes they will be used.

Fire Service

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements it has made, or will be making, to ensure that front-line fire services are not affected by the requirement placed on fire boards to pay pensions for firefighters out of revenue budgets.

Dr Richard Simpson: A meeting was held on 7 February with Fire Board conveners to discuss the issue of fire pensions. Since that time we have confirmed that an additional £5 million will be made available to Fire Authorities in 2002-03 to assist in meeting rising pension costs. A short-term working group has been established to address the implications of the continuing increase in the cost of fire service pensions.

Fire Service

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the second supplementary question to question S1O-4625 by Mr Jim Wallace on 7 February 2002, whether it will direct the working group considering fire brigade pensions to examine the figures for the three-yearly spending review and to report back before the end of the current financial year.

Dr Richard Simpson: The working group will look at both the funding pressures on authorities and the current funding arrangements for the Firemen’s Pensions Scheme. We have recently obtained pension information from brigades to assist in determining the levels of funding for the next Spending Review. We have also sought the assistance of the Government Actuary’s Department in analysing the information and this will be invaluable in assisting the work of the group.

Fire Service

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the second supplementary question to question S1O-4625 by Mr Jim Wallace on 7 February 2002, what the specific remit is of the working group to consider fire brigade pensions, whether the group will be asked to make recommendations on how to address the funding of such pensions, and whether it will agree to be bound by the recommendations of the working group.

Dr Richard Simpson: The remit of the short-term working group will be:

  To examine the current arrangements for the funding of the Firemen’s Pension Scheme to determine whether the arrangements might be managed better for the benefit of all brigades. In taking the work forward the group will take into account the draft report on the outcome of the review of funding arrangements initiated by the Home Office last year.

  The group will prepare a report and ministers will consider its findings.

Fire Service

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what payments will be made in the current and next financial years to fire boards to cater for pension provision; whether any such payments will be hypothecated, and whether any such payments will be based on a needs assessment of each board rather than in line with current grant aided expenditure allocations.

Dr Richard Simpson: The Scottish Executive recently agreed to make an additional £5 million available to Fire Authorities in 2002-03 specifically for pension provision. These additional funds are in effect hypothecated and will be paid in 2002-03 on the basis of need. Information has been obtained from brigades and the help of the Government Actuary’s Department has been sought to inform the basis of distribution.

Fisheries

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21863 by Ross Finnie on 29 January 2002, when it received the results of the research conducted by the North Atlantic Fisheries College into the impact of various net mesh sizes on the catch of a single seine net fishing vessel; what action it plans to take in light of this research, and whether it plans to change current regulations that apply to such vessels.

Ross Finnie: The data from the research conducted by the North Atlantic Fisheries College referred to in the question were received in February. Analysis of these data is continuing.

  The Executive will review all the recent research into technical conservation, including the particular trials mentioned, once the analysis is complete.

  The Executive has no plans to change regulations for single seine net boats in isolation.

Further and Higher Education

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20841 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 24 December 2001, whether higher education institutions will be given greater flexibility in the use of Hardship Funds.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Institutions already have a significant degree of flexibility in the use of Hardship Funds. Institutions themselves decide how to disburse the Hardship Funds to individual students within guidelines laid down by the Scottish Executive. For example, institutions are allowed to offer short-term repayable cash advances; to use up to 10% of their total Higher Education (HE) allocation to provide scholarships or bursaries and to provide payments of up to £3,500 per year to individual students without recourse to the Executive. Each institution is also free to determine its own "means-test" and the frequency of instalments.

  Institutions have also now been advised that they may vire up to 20% of their Mature Students' Bursary Fund (MSBF) allocation to their HE Hardship Funds, provided that this is consistent with the objective of targeting support on assisting mature students with childcare costs. This will enable institutions to adjust the distribution of their funding allocations based on their actual student population in the current academic year, as MSBF is phased in.

Further and Higher Education

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20841 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 24 December 2001, whether it plans to take any further action in order to achieve greater alignment of financial support for students in further and higher education.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Since autumn 2001, both the thresholds for parent and spouse contributions and the amounts available for support for students over 18 have been the same regardless of whether the student is on a further or higher education course.

  We are considering whether there are additional changes which should be made to the support arrangements in order to achieve further alignment.

Health

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to reduce the prevalence of coronary heart disease, cancer and strokes in (a) West Dunbartonshire and (b) East Dunbartonshire.

Malcolm Chisholm: Responsibility at community level rests primarily with NHS boards. They are well aware of the Executive’s commitment to promoting equity of access to all services, including primary prevention measures. The results of the national demonstration project in primary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD), Have a Heart Paisley, will be rolled out to all parts of Scotland. The lifestyle changes which help reduce the prevalence of CHD and stroke are also effective in reducing the prevalence of cancer.

Health

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a breakdown by local authority of the £10 million allocated in July 2000 for delayed discharge and whether it will detail any audit carried out in respect of these funds.

Hugh Henry: This has been distributed to local authorities, on a recurring basis, as part of their general Grant Aided Expenditure uplift. It has been subject to no specific audit. Monitoring of trends, causes and duration of delays, as well as of performance in individual local authority and health board areas, is done through Information and Statistics Division’s quarterly census.

Health

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the £20 million allocated in January 2002 to NHS boards to tackle delayed discharge will be used specifically for bed blocking.

Hugh Henry: We are targeting this additional money to ensure that local authority and health board partnerships use it only for the reduction of delayed discharges. The funding will be released against joint local authority/NHS board action plans, which will include local authority and NHS targets, to reduce the number of patients waiting for discharge and to deliver their share of transferring 1,000 patients across Scotland to more appropriate forms of care.

Housing

Mrs Lyndsay McIntosh (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its news release SE5229/2002 of 25 January 2002, how many families currently reside in "inappropriate temporary accommodation".

Iain Gray: Tables 25-27 of the latest Quarterly Housing Trends Bulletin , published on 18 December 2001, presents information on the number of households with children that were living in various types of temporary accommodation, at the end of June 2001. A copy of the bulletin , Housing Trends in Scotland, Quarter Ending 30 June 2001 is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number HSG/2001/6).

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive who the members are of the Crofting Consultative Panel referred to in paragraph 33 of the Policy Memorandum on the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.

Ross Finnie: The membership of the Crofting Consultative Panel referred to in paragraph 33 of the Policy Memorandum on the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill is as follows:

  Organisations

  Argyll and Bute Council

  Assynt Crofters Trust

  Borve and Annishader Trust

  COSLA

  Crofting Law Group

  Deer Commission for Scotland

  The Highland Council

  Highlands and Islands Enterprise

  Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland

  John Muir Trust

  National Farmers' Union of Scotland

  The National Trust for Scotland

  Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland

  Scottish Crofting Foundation

  Scottish Land Court

  Scottish Landowners' Federation

  Shetland Islands Council

  Stornoway Trust

  Valuation Office, Inverness

  Western Isles Council

  Individuals

  Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw

  Mr Derek Flynn

  Mr Simon Fraser

  Mr Magnus D Houston

  Mr Alexander M Murray.

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive who the 15 responses referred to in paragraph 33 of the Policy Memorandum on the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill were from and whether it will place a copy of each response in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Ross Finnie: The 15 replies referred to in paragraph 33 of the Policy Memorandum on the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill were from the following:

  Bidwells Property Consultants

  Crofters Commission

  The Highland Council

  Highlands and Islands Enterprise

  Laid Grazings Committee

  The National Trust for Scotland

  Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland

  Scottish Crofting Foundation

  Scottish Landowners Federation

  Sir Crispin Agnew

  Dr Jean Balfour, CBE

  The Hon GE Lopes

  James McPherson

  Cllr R J Murray

  Confidential response

  The original consultation indicated that responses would be treated as confidential. We have since asked the authors whether we may publish their responses and copies of responses from those organisations or individuals who are content for their comments to be made public have now been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 19868).

Local Government

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual salary was of each local authority chief executive in each of the past three financial years.

Peter Peacock: The information requested is not held centrally. However, I understand it is available from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.

Ministerial Cars

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it conformed with the objective of developing public confidence in the effective use of public resources for six ministerial cars to remain parked in the Lawnmarket, High Street, Edinburgh for over an hour after decision time had taken place on Thursday 7 February 2002.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive is committed to the effective use of public resources, and the resources invested in the Government Car Service are no exception.

  The operation of the Government Car Service in Scotland is consistent with UK guidance on ministerial transport. It provides or arranges the provision of transport principally for Scottish ministers and ministers of UK Government Departments when in Scotland.

  The scheduling system is designed to match the arrival of cars to the timetable for ministerial engagements, and keep waiting times to a minimum. However, there can be unforeseen circumstances that give rise to cars waiting longer than anticipated.

National Parks

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made towards establishing the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park and the Cairngorms National Park.

Allan Wilson: The draft Designation and Election Orders for the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park were tabled for Parliament’s consideration on 26 February.

  Ministers continue to consider the recommendations contained in the Scottish Natural Heritage Report with regard to the establishment of a Cairngorms National Park. We hope to complete that consideration soon and to consult on a draft Designation Order for the Cairngorms National Park in the near future.

Public Appointments

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which councillors of Clackmannanshire, Fife, Perth and Kinross and Stirling Councils have been appointed to remunerative positions on health boards, enterprise companies and other similar centrally-funded bodies in each of the last three years.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information requested is as follows:

  Clackmannanshire Council

  


Name 
  

Public Body 
  

Period of Appointment 
  



*Cllr Charles Forbes 
  

Forth Valley NHS Board (formerly Forth Valley Health Board) 
  

09/01 – 09/05 
  



Mrs Teresa McNally (served as an elected member of Clackmannanshire 
  Council from 1988 to 1999 but is no longer a councillor). 
  

Forth Valley Primary Care NHS Trust 
  

04/99 – 01/03 
  



  Fife Council

  


Name 
  

Public Body 
  

Period of Appointment 
  



Cllr Christine May 
  

Scottish Enterprise
Scottish Homes 
  

12/99 – 11/02
07/99 – 09/03 
  



Cllr Andrew Rodger 
  

Fife NHS Board (formerly Fife Health Board) 
  

05/98 – 09/01 
  



*Cllr Theresa Gunn 
  

Fife NHS Board (formerly Fife Health Board) 
  

09/01 – 09/05 
  



Cllr Anne R McGovern 
  

Fife Primary Care NHS Trust 
  

02/99 – 01/03 
  



Cllr Susan Clark 
  

Scottish Environment Protection Agency 
  

10/99 – 12/02 
  



Cllr Tom Dair 
  

East of Scotland Water Authority 
  

01/98 – 12/01 
  



  Perth and Kinross Council

  


Name 
  

Public Body 
  

Period of Appointment 
  



*Cllr Lorraine Caddell 
  

Tayside NHS Board (formerly Tayside Health Board) 
  

09/01 – 09/05 
  



  Stirling Council

  


Name 
  

Public Body 
  

Period of Appointment 
  



*Cllr Patrick Kelly 
  

Forth Valley NHS Board (formerly Forth Valley Health Board) 
  

09/01 – 09/05 
  



Cllr Cormick McChord 
  

Scottish Environment Protection Agency 
  

04/96 – 10/99, re-appointed 
10/99 – 12/02 
  



Cllr Ann Dickson 
  

East of Scotland Water Authority 
  

01/98 – 12/01 
  



Cllr Patricia Greenhill OBE 
  

Scottish Homes 
  

06/96 – 06/99, re-appointed
07/99 –09/03 
  



  Note:

  * Local authority members of NHS boards are separately identified. Since 30 September 2001, each of the 32 Scottish local authorities has nominated an elected member to serve on their local NHS board. They are appointed by Scottish ministers ex officio in their capacity as elected councillors.

  This information, along with details of the remuneration attached to each appointment (if any), is published each year in the Executive’s Annual Report on Appointments to Non-Departmental Public Bodies in Scotland. Details of all current appointments are provided on the Executive’s Public Appointments website.

Public Appointments

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any appointments have been made to the Mobility Access Committee for Scotland and, if so, whether it will detail these appointments.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive has not yet made any appointments to the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland, but will be doing so shortly. Details of the appointments will be announced publicly.

Recycling

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of its waste paper was sent for recycling in each year since 1998-99.

Mr Andy Kerr: In 1999-2000 the Scottish Executive recycled 25% of general waste, of which 25% was paper, and in 2000-01 we recycled 40% of general waste, of which 37% was paper. We expect to achieve our recycling target of 50% recycled waste for 2001-02.

  Last year the Executive purchased, on average, 80% recycled paper for general official use.

Recycling

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of its waste plastic was sent for recycling in each year since 1998-99.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive has introduced a system for collecting and recycling plastic cups at Victoria Quay. There are plans to extend the system of recycling plastic, including plastic cups, to other major occupancy buildings. In 2000-01 the Scottish Executive recycled 40% of general waste. We expect to achieve our recycling target of 50% recycled waste for 2001-02. We do not hold specific recycling information for waste plastic.

Rural Development

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it is currently providing to local rural partnerships such as the Highland Perthshire Communities Partnership.

Allan Wilson: During the 2001-02 financial year, the Executive has made available some £211,000 to local rural partnerships through the Rural Strategic Support Fund. The fund, which facilitates the establishment of local rural partnerships, is one of the three elements that make up the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund.

Rural Development

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been provided to the Highland Perthshire Communities Partnership in each of the last three financial years.

Allan Wilson: Local Rural Partnerships are funded by the Executive through the Rural Strategic Support Fund. This fund is one of the three elements that make up the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund.

  No funding has been sought by Highland Perthshire Communities Partnership from the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund in the last three financial years, although the partnership did receive some funding in earlier years.

Rural Development

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to fund the Highland Perthshire Communities Partnership in the next financial year.

Allan Wilson: Funding for Local Rural Partnerships is provided by the Executive through the Rural Strategic Support Fund, an element of the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund.

  The fund is operated by an annual bidding process. No application has been submitted to the scheme from, or on behalf of, the Highland Perthshire Communities Partnership for the 2002-03 bidding round.

Rural Stewardship Scheme

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will specify all rules and regulations on the Rural Stewardship Scheme that are currently in force and what plans it has to amend any of these rules or regulations.

Ross Finnie: The Rural Stewardship Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2001 set out the legal framework within which the Rural Stewardship Scheme is operated.

  Additional guidance on the operation of the scheme is set out in the scheme literature, which includes the Explanatory Booklet and the forms which accompany this.

  The Scottish ministers are considering whether any changes should be made to the way in which the scheme is operated, in the light of the experience of the first year of operation.

  The Rural Stewardship Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2001 are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 16006). The Rural Stewardship Scheme Explanatory Booklet and forms are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 19601).

Scottish Executive Expenditure

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much each of its departments spent on stationery in each year since 1998-99.

Mr Andy Kerr: Departmental stationery requirements are met through central contracts. A breakdown by department since 1998-99 is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The following figures set out expenditure on stationery (e.g. recycled paper and desktop consumables) through central contracts:

  


 


1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  

2001-02* 
  



£000 
  

578 
  

639 
  

882 
  

835 
  



  Notes:

  * 2001-02 figures are only available to 31 January.

  A substantial part of the increase since 1999 is due to significant rises in the cost of paper.

Scottish Executive Publications

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it cost to publish, print and distribute the Homelessness Task Force’s final report Helping Homeless People – An Action Plan for Prevention and Effective Response .

Iain Gray: The Homelessness Task Force’s final report, and its companion document, Research for the Homelessness Task Force: A summary , cost £964 to publish, £6,716 to print and approximately £1,000 to distribute. These costs relate to the publishing and printing of 4,000 copies of each document and the distribution of a total of 6,100 copies thus far.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22875 by Allan Wilson on 22 February 2002, which locations are being considered for the relocation of the headquarters of Scottish Natural Heritage as part of the relocation review.

Allan Wilson: As stated in my reply of 22 February to the member, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) will undertake a review of its headquarters locations. No targets have been set for relocating public sector posts and all areas of Scotland will be considered. The review has not yet started. The target date for completion of the review is mid-2002 and ministers will take a decision on the most suitable HQ location for SNH based on the review findings.

Social Inclusion Partnerships

Mrs Lyndsay McIntosh (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria must be met for an area to become part of a Social Inclusion Partnership scheme.

Ms Margaret Curran: Donald Dewar, the then Secretary of State for Scotland, announced on 8 May 1998 that the 12 Priority Partnership Areas designated in November 1996 would evolve into Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) and that SIPs would also be set up in other areas across Scotland.

  In July 1998 the Scottish Executive wrote to all Scottish local authority chief executives outlining the key characteristics of SIPs and inviting expressions of interest in this initiative.

  These expressions of interest were evaluated and the relevant partnerships were invited to draw up detailed proposals from which a final selection would be made.

  This final selection was made by an advisory group drawn from members of the Social Inclusion network, who assessed the proposals received on the following basis:

  Need, with a particular focus on preventing social exclusion;

  Extent to which the proposals complemented current programmes and were compatible with existing strategies;

  Innovative nature of the proposals;

  Ability to demonstrate the commitment of partners, including the voluntary and private sectors and local communities, and

  The extent to which the proposals appear to be deliverable.

  The present situation is that there are no plans to extend the areas currently designated as SIPs or to award SIP designation to further areas.

Water Authorities

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are taken by the water authorities to control the number of rats in sewers.

Ross Finnie: Scottish water authorities ensure that measures to control rodents in sewers are effective, pragmatic and appropriate to local needs.

  The water authorities' employees liase with local authorities at a corporate and at a local level to respond to any reported outbreaks and generally a partnership approach is adopted where the resources of both organisations are mobilised to deal with the issue.

  In spring 2001 the Scottish Executive oversaw the introduction of a voluntary joint agreement between COSLA and the Scottish water authorities - this set out a strategy to ensure closer collaboration between local authorities and water authorities regarding the control of rodents in sewers. This document is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 19775).

Water Authorities

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its strategy is for dealing with the issue of rats in sewers.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive strategy for dealing with the issue of rats in sewers includes:

  Each Scottish water authority has a local strategy which responds to the needs of their particular area - this practice will continue after the vesting of Scottish Water;

  A training strategy ensures that water authority staff are competent in the skills required to deal with rats in sewers;

  In spring 2001, The Scottish Executive oversaw the introduction of a voluntary joint agreement between COSLA and the Scottish water authorities - this set out a strategy to ensure closer collaboration between local authorities and water authorities re the control of rodents in sewers. This document is available in the Parliament’s reference Centre (Bib. number) 19755.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer, further to the answer to question S1W-22708 by Sir David Steel on 15 February 2002, which design services were not completed by Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd and what the cost of completing these services (a) would have been and (b) will now be.

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer,  further to his answer to question S1W-22708 on 18 February 2002, which design services that Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd was under contract to provide were not completed; what the cost of those services was to have been and, if no specific sum was stipulated under the contract with the company, what the estimated cost would have been had all of the design services been provided.

Sir David Steel: The design services not completed by Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd mainly comprised detailing of interfaces between complex cladding elements and the cost of completing that work would have been £117,500. I understand from the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group that the cost of this work being completed by the Design Team is still being assessed and has yet to be agreed.